Carl Pray, chairman of the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics at Rutgers:

Specific: “I don’t think any economist really believes that all of this rise in food prices is because of ethanol. There are a number of other forces on the demand side that have pushed things up in recent years.”

Would Mr.Pray agree to the change below?

I don’t think any economist believes that any of this rise in food prices is because of corn ethanol. There are a number of other forces on the demand side that have pushed things up in recent years.

Further, would Mr. Pray care to discuss:

the efficiency of energy out to energy in [required to produce] CORN ethanol as opposed to other ethanol processes and feedstocks

the requirements for fertilizers and yearly planting of corn as opposed to ethanol from switchgrass

the use of prime food producing land required by corn as opposed to where and in what type soil switchgrass will grow

the amount of water required to support growth for both

I agree that other things have pushed up foor prices in the past (isn’t that always the case). like:

poor judgement and sloppy laws

lobbies

forces of nature

greed

etc.

Some we can control if we have the political will, maturity,
determination and integrity. Great things don’t happen because econimics is the driver or I am most certain that we would never have gotten to the moon.

I do hope you will present this challange to Mr. Pray. At least we might change the discussion to ethanol from x,y,or z as opposed to just ethanol.